Priests and partisan politics

The bishops of Malta and Gozo have expressed their strong disapproval of Fr Colin Apap's endorsement of Labour's European parliament candidate Joseph Muscat.

The bishops stressed that priests and religious should not offer their political beliefs, show their support for a political party, or a particular candidate. Some would argue that the Church's sense of disappointment has been expressed a little bit too late when things have gone too far.

It is rather interesting that the EP candidate who has sought the endorsement of a cleric is none other than Mr Muscat. Many would remember the scathing attack that Mr Muscat unleashed on the Maltese government's choice of Fr Peter Serracino Inglott as its representative in the convention about the future of Europe back in 2002.

In issue 92 of maltastar.com he had argued that "The convention's aim is to enhance and build upon the basic core European liberal, humanistic and democratic values such as those of the freedom of expression, association and conscience by implementing the equally European values of diversity, flexibility and tolerance". He then argued that "for centuries the religion of which Rev. Prof Serracino Inglott is a minister, stood diametrically opposed to all this".

One couldn't help ask: Does Fr Apap come from a different religion from the eminent professor? What has changed in a matter of a few months for Mr Muscat to make such a dramatic U-turn?

The position occupied by Fr Serracino Inglott was above politics and the Church did not object to it. The two sides of the political divide in Malta were represented by Nationalist and Labour politicians. The same could hardly be said about Fr Apap's endorsement of a Labour candidate.

But there's more to it. The same Mr Muscat had argued also that Fr Serracino Inglott's appointment was a clever way of aligning the Church with the Nationalist government's policy of taking Malta into the European Union. Surely it is not the case that Mr Muscat wants to align the Church with the party of European Socialists!

It is unfortunate that some pictures which appeared in the press had Fr Apap in a line-up with other endorsees of Mr Muscat which included the former Labour Minister of Health, Vincent Moran, who some years back resigned Labour Party membership. Anyone with half a memory remembers the full story.

Mr Muscat should come clean before the electorate and explain how these endorsements came about. Isn't it bad enough that after years of accusing this paper of being a pretorian guard for the Nationalist Party, he has chosen this paper to prepare the ground for his candidacy for the European parliament and continues to woo the electorate, week in week out through his column in this paper!

Labour's objection to the appointment of Fr Serracino Inglott was based on the fact that the government's appointee was a cleric and that his appointment sent the wrong message. The electorate deserves to know what message Mr Muscat wants to send by having the endorsement of a cleric.